The Second Chance
by orchidxxx
Summary: I saw the announcer's lips move in slow motion, hardly believing it could be true. They could not take him away, not when he was my one and only second chance. Action/romance, new characters, set in Panem world.
1. Chapter 1

**The second chance**

The first chance, aka. Jack

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the seventy-fifth hunger games begin," Claudius Templesmiths voice is projected all around the Cornucopia.

So there I was. Looking across at the second person I had truly loved in the world. My heart racing, blood pumping and hands getting moister by the minute. 60 seconds, and the murder would begin, knives would start flying around my head, and spears would start to be thrown in all different directions. Even though I wouldn't let on to any of the other tributes, who might take it as a weakness, I'm not really looking forward to it. But hey, this is what my nutcase of a father seems to think I was built for. Yes, my own father seems to think it's a privilege to see people trying to kill his own child. That's why I ran away, left him and the whole of district 1 behind. It was so easy, just stuffed the few items I owned in a bag and legged it through the woods. I ran and ran all the way to good old district 8, and I still ended up here, at these awful games. But, it's for him. He's my one and only second chance. I'd go to the end of the earth for him, walk through fire for him, even sell myself to Lucifer, the devil himself, if it would mean he'd be okay. He'd be okay, unlike Jack.

Jack. There's nothing I could do for him now. Jack, the first person I had truly loved in the world, now lay six feet under, encased in a dark and secluded box decaying with all the other corpses in that forlorn cemetery. If only there was something I could have done, but not even the most expensive Capitol medicine could have stopped the disease.

So, you ask, how I would even get in this situation where my life could end in less than 2 minutes. It all started in district 1, the richest of the districts. It specialises in making luxury items for the Capitol. The Capitol, the only thing I hate more than my maniac of a father. The Capitol filled with the most self-centred, materialistic and egotistical people you will ever meet, and the accent, God, the accent. If anything could make me want to jump off my cliff and top myself, it is hearing that spine-chilling Capitol accent with its freakishly high pitch.

I was 6 years old when my father declared it was time for me to start training. And even though I knew that it was common for district 1 children to train to volunteer, as I had even witnessed a neighbour, a boy of my own age, participating in the same crazy training regime that I was to become accustomed to, I was confused. Me? Train to volunteer for the hunger games? I was a small six-year old that was bad at ferociousness and worse at sports. My life's aspiration was to become a doctor and cure the sick. I knew I wasn't hunger games material, but nothing would persuade my father to give his dream of me being a champion up. By the end of my first day training I fainted with exhaustion, but this was supposedly what every future hunger games victor should have to endure if they strive for success (and life). My trainer, Jad, was the only good thing about training. Even though he made sure I kept up the strenuous regime, he'd often sneak me books and games to fill the long stretching days of my sad, practically redundant life. Unfortunately, this hard training went on and on, and with each passing day my hatred for the man I called my father grew and grew.

My only escape was time spent with my tutor, Milo. He taught me about all different subjects: lands far and wide, mathematical formulas that took years to discover, the fascinating stories of history, the inner mechanisms of the Capitol databases, and best of all the anatomical workings of the human body. Milo's words ensnared me, and left me needing more of this satiating information. Information Milo was only too happy to provide, I continued to eat up his tit bits of knowledge with relish, but my hunger for wisdom was still never satisfied, making each wait for tutoring crawl, long and slow.

My twelfth birthday started to approach, training getting longer and even more challenging. I didn't want to volunteer for these silly games, where the sole aim was to ensure the downfall of all other tributes (yes, tributes. It's the Capitols way of making out that participating in the hunger games is some sort of honour). The only thing that kept me attached to district 1 was my little brother, Jack. He had had poor health ever since he was born. My father immediately gave up turning him into a hunger games volunteer, knowing his ill health would limit his ability and prevent him being the victor. Soon after, the doctor told my father that it would be healthy for Jack's mental state to have at least 30 minutes company everyday; so obviously the job of talking to Jack for half an hour in the evenings was dumped on me.

At first it seemed like a chore having to spend most of my meagre free-time talking to my ill little brother. But, time passed and with it the wall of awkwardness and unspoken thoughts dissolved. And this half an hour every night became my salvation, it was the only thing I really looked forward to in the whole of my monotonous life. Jack and I would tell each other of all our anxieties. He was the only person I could really open up to, and he felt the same too. Over time I realised just how much Jack and I had in common; opinions, likes, hates, interests, insecurities, ambitions, desires. You name it; we probably had it in common. It was more than inherited similarities; it was a connection shared by two people who had had to live through the same tough times.

Soon, I found the only reason I still dragged myself through training was so I could tell Jack the kickass moves I had learnt, the only reason I continued to learn from Milo was so I could tell Jack the fascinating stories Milo had told me and the only reason I still tried to talk to my mother was so I could try and give Jack faith that she'd snap out of it one day. But Jack had already given up on ever having loving parents, and somewhere along the line, I had too. My mother, forced into marrying my father because of his high status, was always detached and isolated. She had a habit of wandering aimlessly around the house drifting off to her own dream world, probably filled with fantasies of a charming industrial worker and a humble little family. But, unfortunately, her always being off in this dream world caused her to be unaware of the suffering my brother and I have had to tolerate, leaving us with only each other. However, that had been sufficient for me then and I hoped that Jack felt the same. We had gone from having no one to having each other, a blissful alternative.

A beep pulled me back to reality. It was to signal we had a diminutive 30 seconds left till the horror began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Cornucopia Conflicts

I started the countdown in my head; 30, 29, 28... All the insecurities I had about these games rushed through my head. Was I ready for this, and more importantly, was he ready for this? As soon as I saw the arena layout that had been leaked in a weekly newspaper last month, I had started planning. Why did I start planning when I didn't even know I'd be here right now? Because the years of training that that evil little man put me through caused my instincts to act up. So I planned while hating myself for still letting my father get to me. But the planning had paid off.

What was this genius plan you ask? He'd run into the small forest surrounding the Cornucopia, a great touch to the arena for this year. I'd grab supplies, run into the forest and pass them to him. Then, the bit I was really dreading, I'd go back to the Cornucopia, kill off as many careers as I can and probably die. But with some careers out the picture, and having plenty of supplies, his chances go way up. However, would killing the careers be that easy? Especially the male district 1 tribute, Aaron.

The only time I'd seen Aaron was at the training stations, and then again at the live televised interviews (the first time I realised he was probably everybody's largest threat.) I'd say he's 6"2, he's got messy ashen blonde locks with chocolaty hazel eyes, and the large muscles of your typical Hunger Games volunteer. I hadn't talked to him at all, but I had started to observe and suspect the complete lack of skill he was showing at the stations; no district 1 volunteer has that measly amount of ability, trust me, I should know. But he has now scared even his fellow careers with his true training score of 12. (Who knew that was possible?) Personally, the sooner he's out of the arena, the happier I'll be. Although, the most annoying thing about him is, I keep finding him staring at me. And at this rate people are going to think I'm his ally, the careers ally, the enemy. That is something I just do not need. Besides, why _does_ he keep staring at me? Does he see through my falsely low training score or worse, has he guessed the real reason I volunteered, only time will tell. Unfortunately, that time is soon; too soon.

The beep sounds. The seventy-fifth hunger games have begun. I immediately run for a knife to my right. It's a good knife, curved handle, perfect for holding and a nice sharp blade. It could, no, it _will_ slice through flesh with ease. I look around for more gear; it's definitely slim pickings this year with most items stashed at the heart of the Cornucopia. The Capitol obviously wants some confrontation this year. I make a dash for a decent sized pack; who knows what basic life-savers could be contained in there. I notice district 9 girl heading for the same pack, so I start to look for something else to grab, but there's nothing. Ok, if that's the case then the pack is mine, he needs it. I turn back around and chuck the knife at her, the thought of him hardening my heart to the sympathy I should feel. I'm great with knives so it hits right on target, plunging straight into her neck. Unluckily blood had splattered all over the pack, and I know it'll freak him out but it can't be helped.

I snatch the pack and survey the ground, only to see a spear flying at me. I dodge out the way. I'm fast, but not fast enough. The spear grazes my left side. Once over the initial shock, I grasp at the spear and throw it back at the sender. It's the district 9 boy, probably trying to avenge his fellow tribute's death. The spear punctures his stomach, and he drops with a thud. District 9 must hate me.

I duck into the trees for a minute to evaluate my wound. It's not too bad, shouldn't slow me down until tomorrow at the least, and I don't plan to be alive then, so it's all good. I take a peak from behind the trees and see that there's nothing else worth risking my life for out there that the careers haven't already got there claws on. Taking the long route through the trees, I'm soon in the area where we planned to meet. I jog around the forest for a couple of minutes whispering his name,

"Jake, Jake? You there?" I mumble. Jake, even his name reminds me of my brother.

After a while, my worry has grown to full on dread. I start sprinting through the forest, nearly shouting his name.

"Quieten down, sis. The careers aren't _that_ far away!"

The sound of his voice caused relief to flood through me.

"Thank goodness, you're safe." I snivel, taking him in a mammoth embrace as he crawls out from beneath a bush and appears in front of me.

"Hey, I need a strong sister, not a blubbering mum." He says with an artificial smile, and sad eyes. He knows I'm going to die, and it devastates him.

I swallow my sobs and the worry slowly ebbs away. I quiz him on all the necessities and make sure he's fully prepared, even though I know perfectly well that he couldn't have simply forgotten all the information I had constantly questioned him about for the past few weeks. He takes the pack, and hugs me. I give him a small kiss on the head, tell him one last time how much I love him and watch him disappear into the forest, merging back into the green.

I start to head in the opposite direction, back towards the centre of the arena. I breathe in the earthy smell of the ground before me, if this wasn't a death arena it would be a pleasant place, it's a shame really. Above me, up in the trees, leaves tussle in the wind and the suns light filters through, giving a quick breath of warmth on my skin. But the beautiful green surroundings start to disappear, and my heart beats faster. I'm approaching the Cornucopia, the place I will most likely die.

It's time to face the careers, a very daunting task.

_Haha ok, well this is a story I started in 2009, when the hunger games was a much less popular genre (and when mockingjay had not yet crushed my dreams). I never intended to give up on it, but life combined with a lack of reviews meant that I forgot about it. But recently I reread it and I found not only all my previous ideas for this story coming back, but new ideas too, so I'm back! I'm going through all the chapters and doing some editing, as looking back at your younger selves writing can sometimes be rather embarrassing and there was some blaring mistakes that I can't believe I didn't notice: D well I hope you like it and please review and tell me whether you think I should continue or whether I should have left it back where it belonged, in the deserted wasteland of 2009 (I'm also interested in a beta-reader for future chapters, so if anyone is interested pm me)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Unforgetful Fin

I slowly removed a spare knife I'd picked up earlier, put on my most vicious face, and stepped out into the open.

"Nice day, isn't it?"

All the careers turn, probably wondering what maniac would more or less offer themselves as a sacrifice to their execution spree that was about to begin.

"Very, and it just got better," the boy from district 2 with flaming red hair sneers with a sly smile, getting poised to attack.

It was time to move, I had to act before they did. It was the only way I was going to cause any career deaths today. I threw the knife at the boy who'd spoke. Ouch! Right through the eye. I'm guessing death was probably instantaneous, which thankfully meant no pain; because if there was anything that no one in this arena deserved it was suffering. As much as the waste of human life saddened me, I also knew his death was a good thing as I'd seen him throw a spear at training. He was the only career who could definitely take me down from this distance (well excluding Aaron, as he didn't seem willing to let any of his skills shine through during training). That meant I was safe (again excluding the possible skills of creepy staring Aaron), for now.

"Not for you," I sneer back at the lifeless body, putting my tough look back on.

"Fin?" district 1 girl asks. Someone starts speaking; it's the boy from district 5. He's evidently acting as the Careers memory bank, I speculate how long they'll keep him alive, maybe 3 or 4 days if he's lucky.

"Roz Black, district 8, training score of 4."

"Ha! 4! No 4 could throw a knife like that, so what's your real ability, Roz?" she titters, using my name as if it gives her some sort of power over me.

"I'd say at least a 10, more than you at any rate, Twinkle," I say with a slight smile at the end.

Twinkle: another silly career name. Milo, my tutor, once told me that I was going to be called dagger, but my mum refused and said she wanted Rose. However, my father thought that was a little too soft, so it was 'hardened' to Roz. It's the first of 2 times my mother has ever woken up out of her dream world to help me; the second time being when I left.

Everything had been fine, until Jacks condition had started to deteriorate; the doctor said it was cancer of the lungs. I was there for three weeks of never leaving his side, but his devastating death happened when I was down stairs making him something to eat; he'd died in somebody else's arms. My father expected me to grieve for just one week and then get back to training, I was so angry, a week? Why should I go back to training at all? That's when I hit him, square in the face. I'd punched him so hard he got knocked unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital by one of the maids. That was my chance, father gone, staff to preoccupied with the recent incident to notice my absence. I ran for my room, grabbed a backpack and started stuffing the few personal items I was allowed to own into it. That was when I saw her, standing at the door.

"I'm sorry, I just can't stay. The only thing that held me here is gone." I whisper, fearing she'll shout or cry, or anything that'll attract the attention of people. To my surprise, she just smiles.

"You're crumpling all your clothes by stuffing them in like that," she said warm-heartedly.

I stared, the mother that just spoke was not the mother I had known for the past 12 years of my life, this mother was nice, caring and more importantly, wasn't away on planet Mars right now. She laughed at my look of utter shock.

"Give it here," she laughed, taking the backpack off me and rearranging the clothes into it, neatly this time. "You'll need some supplies and money as well, and some gear from the equipment store for protection and hunting."

Half an hour later and my small backpack had been exchanged for my father's large hiking rucksack, and it was filled to the brim. Only one last thing to go in, a slice of the cake my mother and I had just started making. We had fun mixing, baking, icing, joking and mainly talking for the next hour. I realised that I did have a mother; she just only came out in times of need. The cake was iced, cut and packed. Time to go. I gave my mum a first and last embrace. Then she surprised me even more.

"Your brother didn't die alone, I was there, but I know he wished you were there too" she whispered into my ear.

At these words I hugged her tighter. Relief flooded through me, he wasn't alone. My mother had come for him in his time of need too.

Then I left.

"Do you find something amusing about my name?" Twinkle asks, her irritation clear on her face.

"Well, um... Yes." I reply letting my smile grow wider.

She replies to this by throwing a spear at me. I don't even flinch, I knew as soon as she let the spear go that it didn't have enough power to get me. The spear falls a few feet ahead of me.

"Thanks," I chuckle, closing in on the spear and picking it up.

The annoyance on her face is unbelievable, if anyone is going to kill me today, it's probably going to be her. I throw the spear back. Twinkle immediately dives, but it's not for her. It plunges straight into Fin's heart. I sympathise, but he would have gotten killed anyway. With him dies any memory of Jake the careers might have. The careers are all shocked stationary by my choice of target, and I use this time to grab a couple of knives too my right, while subconsciously wondering why the careers had been stupid enough to leave all their gear lying around. Must be the consequences of being overconfident I guess. I chuck the knives, one after the other.

Bye-bye district 3.

"OK. Cresol, Aaron, this b**** has got to DIE!" Twinkle rants.

Whoa, that's a little harsh. I mean, talk about anger management problems. They weren't even from her district, so it's not that big a deal. She needs to calm down, or it looks like she might explode. Maybe this is a secret prediction of how she's going to die, I advise she stay clear of anything that is potentially explosive from now on.

Cresol starts a full on sprint at me, she swings a punch at me but I duck, spin and get her in a head lock. Crack, the noise of districts 2 defeat. For the first time ever, Twinkle looks scared. It was just me, her and Aaron now. They both sprint towards me, I don't have any time to get a weapon prepared and Twinkle is already armed with a knife, Aaron with a bow. I start a full on combat fight with Twinkle, she gets a hit, I get a hit, etc, etc. The fights getting rather monotonous, so I chance a look at Aaron. He's watching from the sidelines, looking amused. Where does he think he is? A woman's wrestling match? Damn it, Twinkle has got me in a head lock, shouldn't have let myself get distracted like that. She's got the knife pressed against my neck now, the feeling of the cold blade against my flesh makes me shiver.

I look into Twinkle's eyes, observing her hollow, unforgiving glare and realise that she's going to give the fatal blow.

"Wait, she's mine." Aaron rushes.

"Anything for you, honey," she responds, her eyes living up to her name. They both grin maliciously, and my stomach turns and my eyes clench shut and I try to think about anything other than my impending death.

I hear the shuffle of Aaron quickly taking aim with his bow. Fear grips me, and yet I can't help but notice that this provides an explanation to why he's been staring at me, probably thinking of 101 ways to kill me. Now I think about it, it's not a very exciting method of murder, but whatever floats his boat is fine by me. Death is death, no two ways about that.

I hear the whoosh of the arrow as he lets it fly.

_Haha, well nobody has reviewed, and maybe they're trying to tell me something but I thought I'd put up some more before I give up for good. So, here it is and please tell me what you think, even if it's bad _


	4. Chapter 4

_Back to Roz _

**Chapter 5**

The Fatal Arrow

**Roz's pov**

They say when you're about to die your life flashes before your eyes; well my life came to me in the form of two faces side by side. One of my brother Jack smiling when I was in the middle of teaching him the roundhouse kick to the back of the head: that poor teddy bear got the ass-kicking of a lifetime. The other face belonged to Jake, but the image was not of him laughing or enjoying himself, it was what he looked like before, before he had me to protect him.

I had just left my mother and run to the fence, the one surrounding the whole of district 1. There was only a single gap in it, and it was tightly patrolled by the peacekeepers. But for the right amount any peacekeeper could be swayed. Fred was on patrol that day, a middle-aged friendly man with a bald head and a figure that looked surprisingly like a sphere. That was good, I thought I would have to part with some of my precious money, but Fred would probably let me through for a simple piece of cake. I was right, Fred was only too happy to part with his peacekeeping morals for some warm cake and without looking back, I slipped under the fence and started to jog.

Districts flashed by, two looked way too much like district one for me, and so did three and four. Districts 5 and 6 didn't even have any gaps in their fences. It looked like I would be living in district 7, but when I slipped through their fence and noticed that all the shops and streets were empty, I knew something was up. It was best to get away while I still had the chance. So my new home had been decided: district 8.

I had settled into district 8 well, the money my mother had given me being enough to buy an apprenticeship with the local apothecary. I got food, shelter and all the knowledge the owner of the apothecary held. So it wasn't exactly like being a Capitol doctor as I had once too often dreamed about, but it was the next best thing and, even though I would never ever forget my brother, district 8 was helping to numb the pain of his death. That was until I saw him.

I found out later that he got to district 8 because his parents had wanted to start a new life, away from district 7. But they had moved too late and both caught the district 7 flu, lucky I hadn't stayed and caught it too. Both his parents and his two brothers died, leaving him alone with no food, money or friends. As soon as I saw him, all the memories of Jack filled my head, the similarity was uncanny. The face structure, hair colour, eye colour, right down to the pasty complexion. Unfortunately, this similarity in complexion told me he was ill, ill like Jack. But this time, survival was the only option. My second chance had arrived.

With these thoughts filling my head, I was reminded that the past me was right, survival was the only option, for Jake anyway. I needed to concentrate now; maybe I can take out one last career and increase his survival chances even more. I start to struggle against Twinkles firm grip.

It isn't working, she's just too strong. All I can do is wait for the arrow to penetrate my skin. I wait and wait, but nothing is happening. I'm almost tempted to open my eyes, is time going in slow motion? Has the arrow already hit me and I have just become numb to the world? I prise my eyes open slowly; Aaron is standing in front of me smiling, whoa, he actually has a stunning smile; inappropriate thinking for this moment in time, I know. I look around to see Twinkle with an arrow straight through her head.

I'm stunned, I cast my mind back to the interviews, I'm sure he tried to play the lovesick fool aspect just like last year's district 12 tributes. He said a whole lot of rubbish about being in love with her since he was eight, watching her from afar and feeling the utmost devotion for her. This didn't look like devotion to me.

"Um, I guess you weren't as in love as you thought then." I say

I'm guessing he's going to kill me, but I want him to lose as many sponsors as possible before I go down.

"Actually, I said she was from district one and was taking part in the games, not that she was district 1s tribute."

3 seconds and 3 long strides later and Aaron's lips are on mine and I feel the warmth of his breath. I inhale the faint scent of mint, and it reminds me of the pastes we used to make in the apothecary and the happy times I spent there. Confusion takes hold of me as Aaron pulls back, but all he does is laugh at my bewildered expression.

"I did save your life, the least you can do is kiss me back!"

"Well, I'm a little confused." The shock of having a near death experience and someone start randomly kissing me in the space of just one minute has slowed my brain functions down considerably, luckily Aaron sees this and decides to help my overloaded mind along a little.

"Roz, you're an 11/12. I'm a 12. And together we'll make the best fighting team all of the Capitol have ever seen. On top of that, I love you, I've loved you ever since I saw you training in your back garden, Roz _Green."_

His use of my real name shocks me; I haven't heard it in so long.It doesn't even feel like my name anymore, it feels like he's talking about someone else. I think about what he's saying, and surprisingly I find myself wishing it was as easy as Aaron had made it sound, but I know I can't join him. There's someone I need to protect and to do that will involve the death of both Aaron and myself; the sooner this happens the better. Trying to put the memory of my (quite amazing) first ever kiss out my head, I pick up a knife and prepare to throw.

I chuck the knife, Aaron ducks and I expect it to pierce a tree, but instead it hits flesh. The girl from district 11 falls from her hiding place in the tree. I hear a cry, district 11 boy sprints at Aaron, but he's soon stopped by an arrow that goes swiftly through his leg. Both Aaron and I quickly prepare for the ambush to come; it seems like I wasn't the only tribute who wanted to eliminate the careers, actually a whole army of them had the same idea. And I must admit, if I'd just seen myself kiss the only known one left, I'd also think of myself as an evil career.

A career that has to die.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Embarrassing Ending 

"Thanks, if you hadn't got that girl, she'd have got me." Aaron says with a grin.

"Yeah, wouldn't want anything to happen to my new hunger games partner, hahaha."Great! I plaster a fake smile on my face, and add a friendly (but maybe slightly too brutal) punch of the shoulder for added irony. I can see Aaron unsuccessfully trying to not let on to any pain, and before I can stop it a laugh escapes my lips. As soon as it had started, it was gone; my brain reprimanding me for forgetting for even a single second the seriousness of the task ahead and the consequences of failure. And yet, there was something about his humorous attempts to stay looking macho, and his carefree attitude towards these morbid games that made me feel relief at his presence and a pleasure in his company.

But now he probably thinks I'm in love with him too. Which I'm not, obviously. He's only gorgeous and possibly totally in love with me, or is he? Maybe he is lying, to kill me later and get sponsors at the same time? Oh well, hanging out with Aaron for one day isn't so bad; we can get rid of some of the competition together, it's not like there's anything between us: it's just two people who saved each other's lives (OK, I was trying to kill him when I accidentally saved his life, but who cares about the little details) trying to reach the same goal: victory.

I edge my way towards the careers abundant mound of supplies, throw Aaron a sword and grab an axe for myself. I turn back to the forest, once again amazed that the Capitol could force people to commit such horrendous acts in such a beautiful place. Blood should not have to be shed on such vivid green leaves and pure white Snowdrops; just as the handprint of death should not have to be imprinted on such innocent young minds. But unfortunately I am in no position to change the situation, and all I can work towards is the guarantee that the blood that taints the flower petals is not that of a twelve year old boy I have come to love so much.

I scan this new tribute army to calculate general numbers, which are large and possibly in the region of 10; the higher districts must have been working hard to create just as strong alliance as any careers could form. Just another thing I have to add to the list of reasons of why I am constantly worrying about Jake. Thinking of him always makes me more prepared to kill. It pushes the undeniable horror of the situation to one side and reminds me that I have to solely focus on getting these people out the way if I want Jake to have the life he deserves. The life that everyone here deserves, but that only one person can have. I'm ready to hack down some people, but a shout from the forest calls for the tributes to retreat. District 11 boy hobbles back to the woods. I immediately fear for Jake; would he have been able to avoid this new army?

"That was over quick, guess we should find Jack, sorry Jake, and see if he's OK."

When was Aaron going to stop shocking me with his extensive knowledge of my past? Along with his extensive knowledge of my present? But, unfortunately, not even he could tell what lay in my future. So, he did know why I had volunteered, at least to some extent. Either he didn't realise how devoted I was to my brother or he secretly wanted to die. But it doesn't matter, there's no way I'm taking him to Jake, the kiss may have knocked common sense out of me, but nothing can destroy my eternal concern for Jake's safety.

"I won't take you to Jake, I won't take anyone to Jake." I say matter-of-factly.

"'K, whatever, I'll set up camp, you go check on Jake. Just promise me you'll come back. You want any more of this stuff?" he said gesturing towards the careers mound of supplies.

"Nope," I reply, I had already scanned it for any real goodies earlier and all I had found were a couple of see-in-the-dark night goggles and some good knives, which were already in a pack hidden at the edge of the forest. Aaron struck a match and tossed it on the pile, the supplies immediately burst into flame, the other tributes would be seeing the smoke from miles away. We head into the forest to look for a good campsite.

"Be back in 20" I say, as I put on a warm faux fur parka Aaron had picked up earlier.

"You better be, I don't want to do this without you." He takes me in a large cuddle, and kisses me again. I push him away, trying to stop myself from going with the flow of this relationship that appears to have formed way too quickly and from absolutely nowhere. As much as every moment with Aaron makes me enjoy his company more and more, we didn't exactly start from a great point. I certainly don't feel in anyway ready to be intimate with him, and I know it's not a good idea to make myself vulnerable to forming strong attachments; they could only cause pain in a place like this. I scuttle out of the cave that Aaron decided we should camp in and follow the path I have memorised back to the Cornucopia and back to where Jake should be.

After I've dug up the pack with the night goggles, I remove a pair for Aaron and I and leave Jake two, better to be safe than sorry. I get the slight feeling of déjà vu as I jog around the slight patch of forest whispering Jake's name, the same concern as I felt the first time rising within me, but it soon diminishes as I hear him bustling to make his way out of a large hedge. He runs and jumps at me, and I'm not sure whether he's hugging or thrashing me.

"I thought you were dead." Jake stammers, tears spilling down his face, washing away some of the grime that now covered his previously glowing face. For some reason the Capitol always makes tributes look as good as possible before entering the arena, maybe to highlight the contrast between tributes before the arena, and after: when they haven't washed for an extended period of time, and their bones are jutting out at every angle due to malnourishment and their eyes are wide and haunted, constantly flickering between imaginary beings.

Jake's tiny hands grip me as though something is going to take me away from him forever; which it just might but there is no point in thinking of what might happen, only what will.

"How you holding up?" I ask, smiling down at him. He looks up at me with a puzzled expression.

"You are real, right?" he asks, obviously embarrassed about asking what would normally be an extremely random question. I can't help but laugh.

"Yes, as much as I look like an angel sent from the heavens, I am in fact real. But I can't stay for long, had to pair up with that Aaron guy."

"Oh, you mean that weird guy? I was wondering why he was staring at you all the time." I look down at my little brother's face, he looks unnerved by the thought of me being anywhere in Aaron's vicinity.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, don't worry about it."

"Well just make sure you have a weapon on you at all times, and keep a barrier between you, he could be dangerous."

I laugh, surprised by the fact that for some reason, it was now my brother telling me to stay safe and be wary, and not the other way around.

"When did you start becoming the expert," I tease, trying to stop him feeling distressed about me. If there was anyone he should be worried about it's himself. I needed to think about his survival, and he needed to think about that too.

"New plan, Aaron and I will try take out the tribute army, if we're still alive then we'll pick off any others. If we're still alive then, then I'll finish off Aaron, go find a cliff and you get to go home. A brilliant plan I think."

"Hmmm, if you say so," Jake says looking doubtful.

15 minutes later, Jake's got food, water, weapons, shelter and a couple of extra useful things I picked up at the cornucopia. We've discussed tactics and my plan seems like the best way to go, so we find Jake an extra good hiding place and then it's time for me to go.

"Do you have to go sis, I don't want to be alone. And it'd not safe for you to be around that creep."

"Two people in a group will attract attention, it's better if you stay hidden and stay safe. Don't worry I'll be back soon, and believe me Aaron is much more at risk in this partnership than I am. Just concentrate on yourself, will ya? I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

With one last hug, I hop off back through the wood to find Aaron, but I feel like I'm getting lost; all these trees look the same and I'm sure I saw that pile of rocks before. I hear someone, or moreover, some people coming. I duck into a bush, there coming this way. There so close now, I can make out one of them from my hiding place; its district 11 boy again, this time with a large bloodstained bandage round his left thigh.

It's OK, they aren't noticing me.

Then the worst and most embarrassing thing possible happens, my stomach grumbles: loudly.

_Thanks to Emmaplease for reviewing, thank you so much for your comments and as to what you've said i've decided to stick with the same characters, and just write the other tributes pov for myself :) Reviews are really appreciated, so whatever you think, whether it's bad or not please tell me :)_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Apothecary ambitions**

What looks like the girl from district 12 just stares at district 11 boy. The whole tribute army is silent, trying to comprehend what just happened. Luckily, this shocked silent lasts for a whole other minute, giving me time to decide what my best options are. I come to the conclusion that now is probably the best time to fight, because, unfortunately for me, it doesn't look like anyone else was going to kill off this tribute army.

"It's been a while since anyone has literally died because of hunger on these games, but I guess you wanted to spice things up a bit," district 11 boy chortles.

The whole tribute army begins to follow in his lead, their measly smiles turning into full-blown grins. I can tell they're about to launch into a full fit of giggles, but they're stopped.

Have you ever felt like the theories of people being able to telepathically communicate with each other are not wholly false? Like those times where you and someone else say the exact same thing at the exact same time. Because I had been certain that those theories had been a whole lot of arrogant fortune-teller gibberish, until that was, I had seen Aaron throw that knife through that conceited district 11 boys head. Why did this make me doubt that telepathic theories were false? Because I too had my knife poised, aimed straight at where the boys head had been before Aaron's knife had caused his corpse to slump to the ground. Now it was 2 against 4, or maybe 5, I think there might be someone hiding in the woods, I just have a feeling there about to jump out soon. Then again, I could just be paranoid.

Well, at least if the army is here they're not near Jake. I wonder how Jake is doing, he's probably fine, but there are still a couple of lone tributes wandering around. He's got plenty of food and supplies, but what if they got destroyed by rodents? Hmmm, that possibly is a little unlikely. I should probably stop worrying, but worrying about Jake seems to be a maternal-like instinct to me.

My mind travels back to district 8. I had just arrived and was on the lookout for a hotel or B&B, any kind of shelter would do. That's when I saw the sign, the sign that proved fate had decided to lay off on me a little. It read:

"Apothecary apprentice position available; ask inside for cost and details"

20 minutes later and I was already settling into my new home, ready to learn about medicines and help around the shop. I had my own house, or moreover room, to the side of the main house which was owned by the family who ran the apothecary: the Salde family. The Saldes were some of the most homely and kind people I had ever met. Mrs. Salde, a thin wiry woman with dark hair streaked with silvery grey, had practically adopted me as her own daughter and Mr. Salde, or John as he had said to call him, was already enthusiastic about teaching me all the different ways to practice the art of medicine. The only down point was the Saldes daughter, Ingrid. She was about two years older than me and had a tendency to give me the death glare for no reason or purposefully go out of her way to make things difficult for me. I could definitely not let her find out that I was harbouring a sick orphan boy in their house.

"Roz hurry up your ass, I kind of need some help here!" Aaron's barks at me, dragging me back to a harsh reality.

At first I'm shocked at his angry tone, but when I notice he has three people trying to jab him with spears, my surprise quickly turns to guilt. I quickly stoop under the branches and evade leaves in my way and scamper to Aaron's side. I take on the largest boy, leaving Aaron only two little girls to deal with. Hope he can handle it, we girls can be fierce.

An hour later and I'm still alive, so is Aaron, and so is Jake; I checked. The tribute army is nearly dead with only one girl who managed to flee keeping their dream alive. Aaron and I have gone back to our cave, and to be honest I'm just plain bored. Which means the Capitol is bored. Which means something bad is going to happen.

Little did I know the source of this evil would not be the Capitol, but a blonde boy who I was slowly starting to develop feelings for.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Betrayal

"Roz, I know this may sound cheesy, but we need to talk."

I look round at Aaron surprised, this sounds like something you say when you want to break up, but that couldn't be it as we are most definitely not in a relationship. Who would be silly enough to do such a thing in the Hunger Games now, when we all know how it turned out for last year star-crossed lovers from district 12. Well in fact nobody knows, considering they haven't been seen for months, that being both the explanation and the problem. I see his face is surprisingly serious and wait patiently, doubts flying through my head, hoping desperately that he's going to laugh and say 'Gotcha'. But the silence continues, until I just can't bear it.

"Aaron, are you breaking up with me?" I ask, trying to keep the hurt put of my voice; I could still pull off not having any feelings for him and keep the sponsors who thought more of me than a lovesick little girl.

"No, Roz, I would never do that." He chuckles, but his laugh sounds empty.

"So what's wrong?"

"It's about your brother," Aaron replies, his face dissolving back into its previous state; serious and a little scary.

Fear rushes through me, "Jake, what about him, has something happened?"

"Not Jake, your real brother Jack,"

"FYI Jake is my real brother, blood is not necessary in our relationship. Fate brought us together and it will always keep us together." I end with a harrumph but curiosity brings me back on subject, "What about Jack anyway?"

"Do you think it was fate that took Jack away from you?"

"Of course not, coincidence and disease took Jack away from me."

"What if it wasn't coincidence?"

What was Aaron saying? What was he trying to put across by this pointless questioning? Was he trying to insinuate someone had purposefully tried to hurt Jack, or worse, kill him?

"Are you trying to say that you think someone murdered my brother?"

"I don't think it, I know it."

Shock, anger and guilt hit me all at the same time. Shock; how could that be? Jake died of cancer, not murder. Anger; how could I have not known? How could Aaron have kept this a secret? Guilt; if this was true how could I have lived on without avenging him?

"What? Why? How?"

He then surprises me even more, changing his tone into pleading, or what could even be called begging. "The Hunger Games is a tough business in district 1, all hunger games trainees know that. But when my father gave me the syringe to inject Jack, I had no idea what the consequences would be. Please know that I never meant for it to happen and I never would purposefully hurt you. I just didn't know, I just didn't understand."

I look at Aaron, hoping that he's playing some kind of sick joke, acting up for the cameras, but when I see he's almost in tears I know it's true. Aaron had killed my brother, no; Aaron had callously murdered my brother. I don't know what to say or do; all I know is that Aaron's words are too much for my tired brain to cope with. Before I even have time to realise the hate, betrayal and disgust I should feel towards him, I pass out.

_Aarons POV_

I have just admitted to the crime which has made me loathe myself ever since that young boys death and I have admitted it to the person I love most in the world. This person also happens to be the person who it will hurt the most in the world. I focus on her face, looking into her eyes: searching for something, anything that will let me know how she feels. But her eyes are empty, like the real Roz has floated from her body, going anywhere where she can escape the sickening news that has been plummeted on her.

Tears trickle from my eyes, blurring my vision. All I can see is the slim figure of a girl slowly falling to the ground. I dive to catch her but miss completely, leaving us both lying in the mud. I don't even know what I'm going to do now. I think back to earlier today, when life was rosy and the girl of my dreams was slowly beginning to return my feelings. We may have been in the Hunger Games, but that was even more reason to enjoy the glorious present. It was then that I realised I had to tell her, warn her of the monster she was falling for.

My mind starts to tick off all the ways my life could go and I end up with only one suitable answer; I have to make sure Roz Gree- Black wins the seventy fifth hunger games. I carefully lift Roz out of the mud and into the cave. I make sure she's warm enough by layering 5 different coats on top of her, but quickly realise that this will probably make the Capitol send a heat wave and sensibly decide to take a couple off. I reckon I've got a good hour before she wakes up, time to get packing.

I pack light, not only because I only plan to get as rid of as much of the competition ASAP meaning the need for supplies is reduced, but also because my love for Roz stops me taking any unnecessary supplies from her. I swing the small rucksack onto my shoulder and head out, not being able to resist one look back at my beloved. She's beautiful, face and personality. But this beauty is not one that I'm authorized to possess.

As soon as I step outside the cave I know something's wrong. I look about, scanning the area for any look of disturbance. I see nothing strange, but my instincts are acting up and I feel like they're telling me: 'behind you'. I grimace at this clichéd line, squeezing my eyes shut tight as I turn, expecting some sort of scary Capitol monster. I prise my eyes open with a sharp intake of breath. I release this breath with a sigh of relief: footprints. I'm a hunter on the loose and it's time to ensnare my first prey. I sprint after the tracks; the excitement of a kill revving me on. My victim should be wary; I've got something worth fighting for and I'm not going to lose. Let the hunt commence.

_Well if anyone is reading then thank you, and I'd love it if you review. _


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